Abel Tasman Walk - 5 Days

New Zealand's Most Beautiful Coastal Walk — At Your Leisure

The Abel Tasman Walk - 5 days allows time for a leisurely exploration of the National Park.

Like the 3-day tour, you'll have 3 days walking the Abel Tasman Coast Track, but with 2 extra days based at our beachfront lodges.

From here you can explore, swim, canoe, or bask on the beach.

Alternatively, trek inland to see sights most travellers miss.

Please note: This tour is very flexible, with a number of options available to take optimal advantage of weather conditions. The direction of the trip may be reversed on some departures, with earlier pick up in Nelson and Motueka.

Departure Timetable This trip operates year-round and leaves every Tuesday. Special itineraries can be arranged on other days, subject to availability. Please contact us for details.

Trip departures from May to October require a minimum of 4 people.

If you wish to book with less than 4 people during these months, please contact us for a confirmed departure date.

Day 1: Nelson / Motueka to Awaroa via Totaranui

Welcome! We will pick you up from Nelson (10.30 - 11.00 am) or Motueka (11.40 am). If you are self-driving to join the tour, please meet us at our Motueka office by 11.45 am. Here, you'll meet your guide for a tour briefing. There'll be time for last-minute luggage organisation before we board a coach to Kaiteriteri.

At about 1 pm, we'll board a Vista Cruise and enjoy a fast, comfortable cruise along the National Park coastline to Totaranui. Hot and cold drinks are available on board. The boat features both open and enclosed viewing decks, and has bathroom facilities. The cruise takes about 1 hour 20 minutes.

On arrival at Totaranui, we'll then walk south to cosy Meadowbank Homestead in Awaroa, where we'll stay the night.

Meals provided include Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Dinner

Day 2: Explore Awaroa

Today you have several options in the beautiful Awaroa area. Explore the park's largest tidal estuary, on foot or by kayak (tides permitting). You could visit some early historic sites, relax on the beach, or just enjoy Meadowbank Homestead. Your guide can advise you on designing your day to be as active or as relaxing as you like!

Day 3: Awaroa to Torrent Bay

Today, we'll leave Awaroa and head over the Tonga Saddle to the horse-shoe-shaped golden beach, Onetahuti, flanked by imposing granite headlands. Here, we'll relax for a while, and then visit Tonga Quarry, a historic former granite mining site. We'll stop for lunch at Bark Bay. Here, you can relax, explore or sunbathe. This afternoon we'll walk on through native forest with views of beaches, headlands and estuaries. We'll cross the Falls River swing bridge (47 m long), then continue on to Torrent Bay Lodge on the beach front — our stop for the night.

Day 5 - Torrent Bay to Kaiteriteri to Motueka/Nelson

Our last day will be beautifully spent with a walk from Torrent Bay to Marahau on an easy track. We'll set off from our lodge at about 9 am. En route, rediscover the stunning bays named by French explorer Dumont d'Urville in 1827. We'll have lunch on a beach by Astrolabe Roadstead, a safe harbour for boats, and enjoy some island views. Our tour ends at Marahau at about 4 pm, where your coach will await to take you back to Motueka (arrival time approx. 4.30 pm) or Nelson (5.30).

If these start or finish times do not suit your schedule, please let us know. We may be able to arrange alternatives.

Breakfast, morning and afternoon teas and lunch are provided today.**This tour is run in conjunction with another operator.

Abel Tasman Walk - 5 Days

Accommodation

Days One and Two

Based on an original 1884 homestead the lodge has double/ twin guest rooms with ensuite bathrooms, lounge, dining room and in-house bar.

Days Three and Four

Originally built as a holiday home and extended to 13 bedrooms the lodge has double / twin ensuite rooms on a nautical theme, bar, dining room and outside deck for relaxing.

Please note accommodation is double or twin share. If single room accommodation is requested, an additional fee of $1037.50 per person is payable to cover this requirement for the duration of the walk.

Food

You will enjoy great local cuisine; continental breakfasts and hearty packed lunches during the day, and either restaurant meals or wholesome home-cooked fare prepared by your host/hostess in the evenings.

If you have any dietary issues or food allergies, we are happy to cater for these, please advise the office of details when you make your booking.

All meals are included in your tour cost. Wine and other beverages are available to be purchased during dinners.

Fully Guided

Our guides are very experienced, friendly walkers and bikers who love to share their knowledge of New Zealand’s flora and fauna and local history. They all hold current first aid certificates, passenger driving licences and are the very best people to ensure your experience will be one to remember.

Staff induction day

End of season staff function

What Do I Bring

The Abel Tasman National Park has the highest sunshine hours in New Zealand. Temperatures are usually comfortable year-round with winter sunshine and summer sea breeze. Summer temperatures average 22°C (72° F). Winters feature light morning frosts and cool nights, to enjoy in front of the lodge fires.

However, please pack for all weather conditions, as New Zealand weather can be be changeable.

Please bring these items:

Day pack (or borrow one of our 30 litre day packs). Use a plastic liner inside to keep your day requirements dry.

Personal medication (to be carried each day)

Good sports/hiking shoes (boots may be brought if preferred, but are not necessary for the well-formed track)

Sandshoes, water socks or sports sandals for tidal crossings (jandals, flip-flops etc. are not suitable)

Swimwear and towel (optional)

Sun hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses

Casual evening clothes

Underwear

Socks, including spare pairs

Sleepwear

Slippers for evening (optional)

Flashlight/torch

Lunch and water bottles (supplied by us)

Camera.

Cotton clothing is not recommended. Cotton (especially denim) is heavy and cold when wet, and is slow to dry.

NOTE: Sun Protection There is a high risk of sunburn due to the park's high sunshine hours and pollution-free skies. The risk applies even on cloudy days. Be sure to use your sunscreen, sunhats and sunglasses.

For walking: Light, comfortable walking shoes are suitable, or worn-in hiking boots if you prefer. You can expect to keep your feet dry, depending on tides and conditions. Occasionally you may have to wade a short distance embarking or disembarking from boats.

Lodge Luggage Bag: We will supply you with a sports bag (47x35x25cm). This bag will be carried by launch to the lodges. We will also supply you waterproof plastic bags. Pack all clothing inside these bags before you pack them into your sports bag. This provides extra protection to keep clothes dry during the boat transfers.

NO HAIRDRYERS PLEASE! Our electricity supply is via generator, and cannot power hairdryers. Battery chargers and electric razors are OK.

Please do not bring tissues or paper towels. They add to litter in the park. Please bring cotton handkerchiefs instead.

PLEASE DO NOT TAKE VALUABLES INTO THE PARK. Jewellery, wallets, travel documents, passports, etc can be stored securely in our office.

CELLPHONE COVERAGE IS UNAVAILABLE IN SOME PARTS OF THE PARK. This applies south of Awaroa. There is no coverage north of Awaroa Bay.

A shop is available at our office, for last-minute purchases of items such as insect repellent, sunscreen, beach towels, flashlights and batteries, and waterproof disposable cameras.

Tour inclusions

Guides, chefs and boat crew

ALL food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, morning and afternoon teas)

All linen and towels at the lodges

Waterproof plastic liners for bags

A Lodge Luggage Bag (yours to keep)

Day packs for you to borrow.

Safety and Risk Management

To ensure maximum safety for all, our guides are certified first aiders and fully qualified drivers. Tuatara Tours operate under a Safety and Risk Management Plan which is regularly audited and approved by a qualified and independent auditor.

Abel Tasman Walk - 5 Days

National Park

Perrine Moncrieff, a Nelson conservationist, campaigned to have crown land made into a national park after she became concerned at the prospect of logging along the beautiful coast. Abel Tasman National Park was formally designated as a National Park in 1942.

People

For at least 500 years, Maori have lived along the Abel Tasman coast , gathering food and growing kumara.

Abel Tasman anchored his two ships near Wainui (Golden Bay), in1642. He lost four crew in a fight with the local maori, Ngati Tumatakokiri.

European settlement began around 1855. The settlers logged forests, built ships, quarried granite and fired the hillsides to create pasture.

For a time there was prosperity but soon the easy timber was gone and the hills were invaded by gorse and bracken. Little now remains of their enterprise and the ravaged landscape is slowly healing.

Little Blue Penguin

Aqua waters!

Bush berry

Flora and Fauna

Flora: Black beech covers the dry ridges and headlands, with hard beech where more moisture is available. Kanuka grows where there has been windfall fires. Manuka occurs where repeated burning has taken place.